Some spa users want exercise while others go for relaxation; but, there is also a high demand from clients of these establishments for cosmetic treatments. Skin care is, probably, top of the popularity polls amongst spa clients.

Medical Dermabrasion

To abrade something, you rub it vigorously with a material that is harder than the material requiring abrading; like using sandpaper on wood. This does not sound wise when the softer material is the skin on your body! So, why would you wish to do this? Because of something called “pride in our appearance”.

At one time, we thought nothing of sitting in the bathtub and abrading our skins with things like – loofahs, sponges, bristle brushes or lumps of volcanic rock (pumice stone). This did the job of removing dead skin from the exterior of our bodies but had no effect on any major disfigurations like old scar tissue; or age wrinkles. For that sort of treatment, something of a more “industrial” nature is needed.

Dermabrasion (abrading the skin/epidermis) to a fairly deep level was one way of taking the “good old scrub down” to the greater depths needed to remove serious blemishes. Such treatment was very painful and not always successful and it never became something that people would volunteer for on a regular basis.

Cosmetic Microdermabrasion

Using the basic dermabrasion technique but in a much more controlled and gentle manner, it is possible to “clean up” a body’s skin by exfoliating the outermost layers of dead skin cells to expose the underlying new skin. For most microdermabrasion treatments, crystals are directed under pressure to target a small area of the body with a jet of mildly abrasive crystals. The used crystals and removed skin cells are then sucked away under vacuum.

Are Those Crystals Harmless?

Basically, commonly used crystals such as medical-grade aluminum oxide, can be considered harmless to humans. However, they may not all be sucked away by the machine’s vacuum and there is a chance that they could be inhaled or get into the patient or operator’s eyes (especially when applying facial treatments). To negate such risks, a Diamond Tip Microdermabrasion Machine should be used.

This is effectively the same machine but the hand held tool that directs the jet of crystals is replaced with a special tool with flakes of diamond set into it which; rather like the air powered dentists’ drill, cuts or peels away the targeted skin cells (to be sucked up by the vacuum). Without crystals, there is zero risk of crystals escaping into the air from a Diamond Tip Microdermabrasion Machine.